{
  "abstract": "Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory inflammatory bowel disease characterized by gut microbiota dysbiosis and mucosal barrier disruption. Sarcandra glabra (Sg), a traditional herbal tea and dietary supplement, has been widely used to alleviate intestinal inflammation; however, its gut microbiota-dependent mechanism remains insufficiently clarified. In this study, Sg at 2, 4, and 8 g/kg was found to dose-dependently mitigate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, restore mucosal barrier integrity by upregulating tight junction proteins and enhancing mucin secretion, and reduce serum levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Integrative analysis of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing, transcriptomics, and metabolomics data revealed that Sg reshaped gut microbiota, selectively enriching Ligilactobacillus animalis while depleting Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris. We identified 8 microbiota-derived metabolites correlated with Ligilactobacillus animalis abundance, among which 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) exhibited the strongest protective effect against DSS-induced NCM460 cell damage. Mechanistic studies indicated that 2,3-DHBA effectively inhibited the IL-6/SOCS3 pathway and restored tight junction protein expression, effects that were reversed by exogenous IL-6. These findings demonstrate that Sg enriches for Ligilactobacillus animalis and its metabolite 2,3-DHBA, which suppresses IL-6-driven inflammation and repairs mucosal damage, supporting its potential as a microbiome-targeted dietary adjunct for UC.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Structural Pharmacology & TCM Chemical Biology, Fujian Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, College of Pharmacy, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine",
    "Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure- Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shaowei Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaomei Chi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Siting Song"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xinyi Gao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Dedian Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Wenbin Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jiayi Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Lixia Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hua Li"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a202brt7f9wqy.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41538-026-00968-4",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00968-4",
  "id": "a202brt7f9wqy",
  "issns": [
    "2396-8370"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00968-4",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "TP368-456"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "TX341-641"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1311|Inflammatory Bowel Disease"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7166851576",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a202brt7f9wqy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:46:19Z",
      "native_id": "2d9db5b374424dbaa88e81192b0ed2cd",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00968-4"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1311|Inflammatory Bowel Disease",
      "subfield": "genetics-genomics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Sarcandra glabra alleviates intestinal injury via modulating gut microbiota and suppressing the IL-6/SOCS3 signaling pathway",
  "title_text": "Sarcandra glabra alleviates intestinal injury via modulating gut microbiota and suppressing the IL-6/SOCS3 signaling pathway",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:46:19Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a202brt7f9wqy",
  "venue": "npj Science of Food",
  "versions": []
}